When your heart beats, it pumps blood, which carries oxygen, to different parts of your body. As the blood moves, it pushes its way through your blood vessels. The force at which your heart pumps this blood, which is determined by the elasticity and diameter of your blood vessels, is known as your blood pressure. If your blood vessels are healthy and obstruction-free, your blood pressure remains normal. But if you have high cholesterol that ends up clogging your vessels, or if the walls of your vessels become hard due to certain health conditions, your blood pressure increases.
High blood pressure has become a common issue that many people suffer from. It can be attributed to our unhealthy lifestyle and food choices and also to the increasing amount of stress we have to deal with on a daily basis. Maintaining optimum blood pressure is crucial, as an increase in blood pressure can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Your ideal blood pressure should be less than, but not too less, or equal to 120 over 80 (you can get it checked by your doctor). There are many medications available in order to lower your blood pressure, but such medicines come with their own side effects due to which is it much more beneficial to rely on natural ways to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Here are some ways to lower your blood pressure naturally.
1. Eat Clean
In order to maintain a healthy blood pressure, it is crucial to eat clean. Following the DASH diet is one of the best ways of reducing your blood pressure. You need to include lots of whole foods, that are low in salt and sugar and high in nutrients and fiber, in your diet. Focus on eating a lot of plants, such as squash, peppers, strawberries, blueberries, spinach, mushroom, and onions, as they contain chemicals known as phytonutrients that have a wide range of health benefits.1
2. Lose The Excess Weight
Being overweight adds a lot of stress on your heart as it has to work extra hard to make sure the blood reaches the different parts of your body. Being overweight may also indicate that your cholesterol, which clogs your arteries, levels are high, making it more difficult for your heart to pump blood. For every 5 percent of excess weight you lose, you can lower your blood pressure by almost 3 points. As you embark on your weight-loss journey, just remember to take it slow and steady and you will be able to achieve amazing results.2
3. Improve Your Sodium To Potassium Ratio
A diet that is high in sodium and low in potassium can significantly increase your blood pressure. You need to make sure that your sodium to potassium ratio is balanced in order to have a normal blood pressure. Cut down on processed or salty foods, which are high in sodium and eat more of fresh fruits and vegetables, which increase your potassium levels.3
4. Get Active
When you lead your sedentary lifestyle, your blood pressure tends to increase. By engaging yourself in vigorous activity 3 to 4 times a week, you can lower your blood pressure by at least 2 to 5 points as exercise helps improve your blood circulation. If you are not very active, you can start off slow and gradually increase the duration and intensity of the exercises.4
5. Breathe By Engaging Your Diaphragm
Most of the time, we only take small breaths that engage only our lungs. We hardly take the time to sit and take deep breaths that engage our diaphragms as well. Taking deep breaths for about 15 minutes lowers your stress levels, calms your body, improves your well-being, and reduces your blood pressure.56
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